by G. Jack Urso
 |
| David Axelrod (NYT). |
David Axlerod (1938-2021), writer for Hot Hero Sandwich,
had a long resume before being hired by Bruce and Carole Hart. It kicks off with Captain Kangaroo in 1968,
moves forward with assignments for such classic comedians as Alan King, Dick
Cavett, Robert Klein, The Dean Martin
Show and Celebrity Roasts, two
Mary Tyler Moore variety show TV projects, George
Burns Comedy Week, and the influential 1973 National Lampoon mockumentary
stage show Lemmings, which helped
launch the careers of several future Saturday
Night Live actors, among many
others.
Axlerod was also a talented lyricist and collaborated with frequent songwriting partner Sam Pottle to write dozens
of songs for Sesame Street, Sesame Street Live, and various other albums
(see his extensivediscography at Discogs). Needless
to say, whether adult or children’s comedy and music, David Axelrod had the chops.
According to
fellow series writer Sherry Coben in an interview with the Hot Hero Sandwich Project, David Axlerod and Bruce Hart first met
in college and also worked on Sesame
Street, so there must have been some excellent synergy between the two on
the projects they worked on. Tragically, Axlerod passed away Dec. 13, 2021 after he
fell ill while on vacation in Aruba where he contracted
flesh-eating bacteria and passed away, according to Coben.
Axlerod's loss also takes with him some of the unwritten lore of Hot Hero Sandwich and more insight into Bruce and Carole Hart's vision as well. Having passed just about a year and a half before the Hot Hero Sandwich Project started, one can only wonder what secrets about the show he knew that we'll never know.
David Axlerod’s
passing was unexpected and tragic, yet the measure of our lives is
in the legacy we leave. From writing for Captain Kangaroo and Sesame Street to Lemmings and Hot Hero Sandwich to a parade of the 20th
century’s most noted comedians, Axlerod’s work virtually defined the laugh track for America and helped a generation of kids, and adults, grow up with a little laughter and song.
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